Tuesday, December 01, 2015

This post is about a trend I have noticed over the years--how people change drastically on social media.

Over a period of time, they create their own 'ghettoes' on the internet, avoid opposing views and end up isolating themselves from rest of the world.

Now there is nothing wrong about interacting with the like-minded but here it is not about people who share interest in tennis, gardening or literature.

Rather, it is about how people choose to interact with those who share similar ideology, then over a period of time their positions get hardened, they get more drawn towards those people, until they create their dream world--of all those who share their ideology.

There was a nice guy who was active on Twitter. In the initial years, he was friendly with people of all sections but then everybody felt he was getting irrational on certain issues. Ideology now prevailed over sane thoughts.

Now, he doesn't fight with the oldies but simply avoids the few of them, he still follows. Most of the time, he is busy fighting the 'Rest', leading an army of Twitter-walas of same ideology, who launch mercilessly attacks on those with diverse opinions, in order to create a world of their own liking.

It is not just about Hindus and Muslims, it is also about left-wing and right-wing, the 'sickulars' and the 'bhakts'. I have seen this affect their personality. This delusion that they have already created their utopian world on internet and are on way towards changing the world, reflects in their real life too.

Just see how these ghettos come up on social media, graduating from one level to another, until you are in the Ghetto.

1. A 'like' or 'Retweet' is an incentive on social media. Criticism is unwelcome, those who criticise aren't good guys, are they!

2. Even for irrational thoughts, there must be 'likes' and those who argue or question, aren't 'my friends'. So just ignore, avoid, block or unfriend the critics--just be in your comfort zone. [There is also the 'mute' button now on Twitter, so you don't un-follow them but their voice won't reach you]

3. Side with those who think like you. The are the real friends (even if many of them you never met on the street & they don't have real photos either]

4. You will like their post, they will promptly like yours, after all, you share the same 'great ideals'.

5. You are happy with those who 'like' your post, you drift towards them even more, get into that world.

6. On Twitter too, you un-follow those whose opinions are not in sync with your beliefs, except may be a few old friends.

7. You get heady feeling with more likes and RTs by those who think alike, you keep getting
immersed in your ideology--sectarian, communal, your positions get hardened day by day.

8. So now you are getting the dose which you want, any criticism, diverse thoughts or opposing idea are unwelcome and in any case these 'uncomfortable or irritating people' are not even reaching you now. You have blocked or ignored or filtered them by now.

9. 'Those others' in your friend list or followers list are just tolerated, and you simply wish them on birthdays, anniversaries.

10. Of course you are talking publicly and you are on social media, but it is just like a caste-linguistic-religious ghetto where you are happy with your own kind, no diversity.
Now, you are in your dream world.

PS: Just check self, if you are into this ghettoisation, too? (everyone, including this blogger, must introspect)

[For those whom I observed, more on Twitter, going up in indoctrination levels within a few years]

If you are copying a paragraph, part of any article from anindianmuslim.com on your site [or book] or using an excerpt from a post on this blog, kindly give credit in the form of the name of this blog and its link. Thanks.